Staff
Staff Development Center | SDC
The Staff Development Centre (SDC) of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts functions as the principal institutional platform dedicated to the professional growth and capacity building of university staff. The Centre serves academic, administrative, executive, and non-academic personnel through carefully designed development programmers aligned with national higher education policies and global best practices.
SDC focuses on strengthening teaching excellence, research capability, leadership skills, ethical conduct, digital literacy, and staff wellbeing. Special emphasis is placed on institutional accountability, anti-ragging mechanisms, and the creation of a positive, inclusive university culture. Through workshops, certificate programmers, awareness sessions, and residential training activities, the Centre contributes to enhancing overall institutional performance and governance. The Staff Development Centre remains committed to supporting the University’s vision by empowering its human resources for sustainable academic excellence.
Vision
To be a leading staff development centre that nurtures a highly competent, ethically grounded, and forward-looking university workforce recognized at national and international levels.
Mission
To design and implement quality, innovative, and need-based staff development programmes that enhance professional knowledge, skills, ethical conduct, leadership capacity, digital literacy, and mental wellbeing of university staff.
Objectives
- To enhance professional competencies of academic and administrative staff.
- To strengthen quality teaching, learning, and research culture in higher education.
- To introduce and promote digital skills, emerging technologies, and AI literacy.
- To foster leadership, work ethics, corporate citizenship, and institutional accountability.
- To enhance awareness of anti-ragging mechanisms and Supreme Court directives.
- To promote staff wellbeing, teamwork, and a positive institutional culture.
The Staff Development Centre plays a vital role in shaping the professional culture of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts. As Acting Director, my vision is to strengthen staff competencies through inclusive, relevant, and forward-looking development initiatives that respond to the evolving demands of higher education.
Our programs are designed not only to enhance professional knowledge and skills, but also to cultivate ethical responsibility, leadership capacity, digital readiness, and mental wellbeing among university staff. We place particular importance on institutional accountability, quality assurance, and compliance with national regulations, including Supreme Court directives related to anti-ragging mechanisms.
I firmly believe that a motivated, skilled, and ethically grounded workforce is the foundation of academic excellence. The Staff Development Centre remains committed to working collaboratively with all faculties and units to support continuous improvement and sustainable institutional growth.
Senior Lecturer Ajith Rohana Kumara
Acting Director – Staff Development Centre
University of the Visual & Performing Arts
The Staff Development Centre functions as a dynamic platform for planning and delivering staff development initiatives that respond to the evolving needs of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts. As Programme Manager, my focus is to ensure that all training programmes are well-structured, relevant, and aligned with institutional priorities and national higher education standards. Our programmes are designed through systematic needs assessments and are implemented with the support of experienced resource persons and subject experts. Emphasis is placed on academic excellence, administrative efficiency, ethical conduct, digital competencies, and staff wellbeing.
I encourage all members of staff to actively participate in the programmes offered by the Staff Development Centre and to engage in continuous professional development for personal growth and institutional advancement.
Programme Manager
Staff Development Centre
University of the Visual & Performing Arts
Completed Programs and Workshops – 2025
Certificate Course in Teaching in Higher Education (CTHE)
- Target Group: Newly recruited academic staff
- Duration: 16 August 2024 – 25 April 2025
Workshop on Digital Marketing
- Target Group: Academic staff of the Department of Information Technology
- Date: 29 January 2025
Workshop on Creating Research Profiles for Staff
- Target Group: Academic staff
- Date: 19 February 2025
Workshop on New Public Procurement Procedures – 2025
- Target Group: Deans, Registrar, Librarian, Bursar, Heads of Departments, Directors, Executive Staff
- Dates: 18 March 2025 & 26 March 2025
Workshop on Introducing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) – UVPA
- Target Group: Executive and Non-Academic Staff
- Dates: 30 May 2025 | 25 July 2025 | 01 August 2025 | 15 August 2025
Awareness Programme on Supreme Court Order on Anti-Ragging
- Target Group: All Academic Staff, Wardens, Security Officers
- Date: 04 August 2025
Corporate Citizenship, Moral Development and Work Ethics
- Resource Person:(Dr.) H. N. D. N. P. Opatha
- Target Group: Academic Support Staff
- Date: 26 August 2025
Empowering Staff with AI Knowledge
- Target Group: Academic, Academic Support, and Executive Staff
- Date: 19 August 2025
Healthy Mind: A Holistic Approach to Mental Wellbeing
- Target Group: Administrative Staff
- Date: 03 October 2025
Career Development and Leadership Programme
- Resource Person:Prasantha Lal De Alwis (President’s Counsel, Council Member)
- Target Group: Academic Staff
- Date: 17 October 2025
Staff Capacity Development Programme – Laya Beach, Wadduwa
- Focus Areas: Anti-Ragging Mechanisms, University Accountability, Team Building Activities
- Target Group: Academic, Academic Support, Executive and Non-Academic Staff
- Dates: 16 November 2025 & 21 December 2025
CTHE Certificate Awarding Ceremony
- Target Group: Academic Staff
- Date: 19 November 2025
Contact Us
Acting Director
Mr. H. A. M. Ajith Rohana Kumara
Staff Development Centre (SDC)
University of the Visual & Performing Arts
21, Albert Crescent,
Colombo 07.
Programme Manager
Staff Development Centre (SDC)
University of the Visual & Performing Arts
21, Albert Crescent,
Colombo 07.